Economist Marlino Sambongue understands that the dismissals and appointments made recently in the Ministry of Economy and Planning (MEP) and in the Sovereign Fund of Angola (FSA) aim to guarantee greater dynamics to the Executive’s economic team. However, Heitor Carvalho says there is a lack of transparency in the Fund
For the economist, at MEP level, for example, a person was appointed who is a member of the house, as he was already there, as National Director for Territorial Development, and with extensive work experience.
He also highlighted the passage of Victor Hugo Guilherme as Vice-Presidency of the Republic, to justify President João Loureço’s commitment as the new minister. “So it’s someone with a completed service record.
And what the Holder of the Executive Branch wants is to give greater dynamism to the economy”, he highlights. “Another aspect is that we intend to carry out a remodeling at the level of the Government’s structure.
And the profile of the current minister meets the challenges of the future”, he stated, adding that the MEP will be divided into two, one being the Ministry of Planning and Territorial Development, and the other of Economy.
In view of this, he believes that Victor Hugo will be responsible for Planning and Territorial Development, as it will be his basis for training work over the years.
As for the future, he said, he hopes that within the scope of Planning the Ministry will be able to monitor the implementation of the Development Plan, and if there are any mistakes that corrections will be made in a timely manner.
Regarding the new Sovereign Fund team, he emphasizes that this is a leadership with vast experience, especially given the fact that Armando Manuel led the Sovereign Fund as president of the Board of Directors, Ministry of Finance, in the Government of José Eduardo dos Santos , whose economic advisor he was.
“He went to the World Bank and knows the Sovereign Fund. He has experience and knows the strengths and weaknesses of the organization he returns to lead. It is in a position to meet the expectations of the President of the Republic”, she believes.
He said he hopes that in the near future the Sovereign Fund will be able to focus not only on assets such as securities, but also on investments in infrastructure in Angola and the continent in general.
“I hope that these two incumbents can rigorously implement what the President of the Republic’s concerns are as set out in the National Development Plan, and that we can feel the results, in the short term, in two years”, he challenged.
Heitor Carvalho criticizes the Fund’s management
Economist Heitor Carvalho also has a different understanding of the two appointments, who, regarding the Sovereign Fund, begins by highlighting the “lack of transparency and lack of profitability as one of the factors for the exoneration of the former manager”.
Heitor Carvalho highlights the need for independence in the management of the Fund, criticizing government appointments and argues that this institution should be focused on future generations and not be subordinated to a specific government.
“The ministerial reshuffle in the country raises doubts regarding political management to the detriment of technical management”, he highlights. The head of the Center for Studies and Scientific Research at the Lusíada University of Angola (CINVESTEC) said the reasons for the dismissal in the Sovereign Fund were uncertain because there was no transparency, but he did not leave aside the institution’s lack of profitability.
For the economist, the management of an institution like the Sovereign Fund should be independent, and, therefore, appointments should not be made by the Government, as “it was supposed to be a Fund for future generations.
However, it cannot be restricted to a current Government”. “Even though it is not independent, any Fund, any State company, as was the case with TAAG, in order to have a Board of Directors, a clear program must be defined to be executed. Hence, there would be dismissals if the management team did not comply with the program,” he explains.
This is already different, the economist highlighted, with regard to members of the Government who are assistants to the President of the Republic, who, according to the legal system, can leave at any time and other assistants can enter.
Heitor Carvalho highlighted that the replacement in the Ministry of Economy and Planning was by someone more political, a person who had a political career linked to the President of the Republic, “more political and less managerial”, different from minister Mário Caetano João who was an academic and more manager than politician.
“Nothing can be expected from the new minister, because the President of the Republic João Lourenço is the one who determines all the lines of execution”, he stressed.
